We’ve already had several fab camping weekends this summer, starting with our annual May Bank holiday trip to Fisherground campsite. 2 weeks later, Grizedale Rocks at the Bowkerstead Farm campsite, 2 weeks after that a quick trip to the Lake District to Gill Head Farm (we can highly recommend the Boot and Shoe Inn in nearby Greystoke for dinner), then in July, the Peak District staying at Moor Hay Farm. I’ll write them all up individually when I get more than a moment.

Just 15 minutes up the road from us is where the Deershed Festival is held every year in July at Baldersby Park since 2010. It’s a family friendly music and arts festival is held called the Deershed Festival. The festival started small, about 2000 people tops, but has now grown to a capacity of 8000 people.

The Helter Skelter at the Deershed Festival

The festival has all the usual chilled out vibes and entertainment you;d expect such as bands, big tops, comedy and food and shopping stalls. Deershed is slightly different because the entertainment is aimed at children. There are workshops based on an annually changing theme such as monsters, time travel, up in the air, machines, and sky at night, comedy, sports, the legendary Bubble Man and loads more to do. Festival goers can also enjoy a game of swing ball, in the largest swing ball pitch ever.

I think the theme this year is “At the movies”, but you can check the website for all the details. It can be a bit pricey for a larger family but if one of you volunteers to help out by doing a few shifts in the workshops or camping fields, you get your ticket for free! The review on their Facebook page say it all again.

You can camp, or glamp, come for the day (but you’ll miss the best acts) and enjoy a brilliant range of things to do. There’s a big top, 3 stages for music alternating so they don’t clash, after hours clubbing somewhere in the woods nearby so as not to disturb the young sleepers and plenty of portaloos which are cleaned out all day long.

Up in the Air

We’ve been to about 5 Deer Shed festivals now so are having a break to try something different this year, but 2016’s event was great fun, and boiling hot. The usual Saturday morning kids fun was Cardboard City of course what else do you need but a big pile of cardboard boxes and leave them to it to use their imagination.

The bands that play range from folk, rock and little known local bands but there’s always a bigger name to headline on Friday and Saturday night. We’ve seen St Etienne and the House of Love there, and picked up a liking for some of the more obscure bands from hearing them play at the festival.

Fairground Rides are a bonus

Checking the weather forecast on a Monday for the coming weekend it was looking great. So we booked a short trip to a campsite at How Stean Gorge in North Yorkshire. It was only a 40 minute or so drive away and our camping equipment was already packed up and ready to go so we decided to go for it. It’s the only campsite near where we live that not only allows firepits but also allows you to book just one night at weekends.

The drive there is pretty beautiful. Meander through Pateley Bridge and head out on the nothern road along the edge of Gouthwaite reservoir towards Lofthouse, remembering to slow down for the many cyclists and horses you’ll pass on the way. We spotted a Little owl on one of the dry stone walls, tucking in to some roadkill for his lunch.

View from the campsite.

How Stean Gorge is signposted but it’s eassy to over shoot the turning off the road. There’s also a place called Studfold Farm which has bigger signs and is right next door. Basically you drive into Studfold, then continue over a little stone bridge and turn right immediately. Up a steepish hill and the entrance to the gorge is directly in front.

How Stean gorge is not just a campsite it’s also a place of natural beauty with it’s limestone rock formations, gushing river channels, caves and tunnels. They have an activity centre based there too that offers abseiling, a via ferrata trek, bouldering and canoeing or kayaking.

The weather turned slightly.

Looking down from the bridge.

The drive into the campsite is over a bridge spanning the gorge. You can look down through the planks and it’s quite a long way down!

Getting the firepit started.

Nice touches at the facilities.

The next day dawned bright and sunny and we donned our hard hats and descended through the wardrobe down the the gorge itself. There was a team of folk bouldering through the water and it looked like great fun. Maybe next time.

Campsite with cows

As a birthday treat trip to the Yorkshire Wildlife Park forced us to head to, gulp, south Yorkshire we decided to find a new campsite for the night to save us from the dreary motorway journey home. So we threw the camping gear and tent into the car the night before we headed off to Doncaster.

I found this new campsite on the UK Camp Site website, which, despite being a very old fashioned looking website, is pretty much the best one to use for finding recommendations and reviews of UK campsites. The campsite I found is called Butt Farm and is a brand new site opened at the beginning of this camping season year by the new-ish owners of a farm near Beverley, in East Yorkshire.

The site itself was a simple rectangular field with hardstanding and grass pitches, some with electric, It wasn’t huge, but there was plenty of space around the pitches for the kids to run about. The cows came to say hi too!

There’s plenty of space to run around and play football, although it’s not advisable to play that in crocs as we had a toe injury. The area was very peaceful, with the gentle moo-ing of the cows (and bull) in the fields next door.

The owners had renovated the old barn, or cowshed, into the shower and washroom facilities, and they were very well looked after. Warm and cleaned regularly, with clever use of wooden crates for shelves by the basins.

It was £10 a night to hire a firepit, wood and marshmallows which seemed a little steep, especially as if you stay more than one night. Most other sites which sell wood, offer the fire pits for free, just simple wheel rims on a stone base, and the bag of wood and kindling is just around £4.50 – £6.

The only other very slight downside is you could hear the road noise in the evening which did die down during the night however as the site is so close to a town it was to be expected. But apart from those two niggles it was a perfect spot for peaceful camping for a night. I’d never visited the town of Beverley either and it’s really pretty with a town square and lots of boutique style shops to browse in.

Gazing at the stars over the mountain peaks

Last year a bunch of us went camping in the Lake District, at Fisherground campsite in Eskdale. We had such a good time we did it again this year on the May bank holiday weekend. And we were lucky as it was hot, hot, hot!

There’s nothing better than relaxing by a warm campfire with a glass of chilled wine at hand and having hilarious conversations with old friends. And if the weather is great it feels like a proper holiday that you’d pay hundreds for via a travel agent. I love the smell of campfire smoke, even when it permeates all your clothes and sleeping bags. It’s a comforting cosy smell that reminds me of childhood Brownie camps and Bonfire nights.

This isn’t a review of the campsites we stay at by the way, just some diary-style notes about our camping weekend, but the campsite at Fisherground is highly recommended for family trips. These two munchkins below had a blast and the weather was fab, did I already say that in a smug kind of way? 😉

Fisherground campsite is in the beautiful Esk valley just outside the small village of Eskdale Green, and has a pub at the end of the road. The owners bend over backwards to welcome happy campers, even though May bank holiday is their busiest weekend of the year, they were still smiling as hundreds of campers arrived throughout the day and evening.

The campsite also has it’s own train station for the La’al Ratty, a miniature steam train which runs from Boot at the top of the valley to Ravenglass at the coast and back again. A must trip for everyone, and very relaxing sitting either in the open air coaches, or in the olde worldey wooden compartments which are under cover.

Getting to Eskdale Green is a fun drive, just as you think the last six miles will be a breeze, the road suddenly points up and begins twisting and turning at an angle of almost 45 degrees in places. Make sure your brakes work! If you see a sign to Hardknott Pass make sure you’re going in the other direction. It’s called that for a few very good reasons.

The children’s rafting pond!

It’s a fabulous camping site for children too. It has a large naturally created paddling pond fed from a fresh water stream that the owners have made into a watery pirates den. There are 2 or 3 old tractor tyres transformed into rafts with ropes and big sticks to pole each other across the pond by. There were a few Swallows and Amazons style games being played and even though the water was cold it didn’t bother the kids.

Right beside the pond is a great adventure playground in the wooded copse. A zip wire, more swinging tyres, climbing ropes and a couple of rope swings, one of which flies over the water, were all more than enough to make it a kids heaven.

Trying not to fall in! (but of course they did).

Facepaint makes the pirate games more authentic.

Rescue mission to the Rocks

Taking turns to push

Fire pits, our essential camping requirement, were provided at no extra charge. A wheel rim balanced safely on a stone slab in the centre of our circle of tents, and the wood was bought from, and delivered by, a very cheerful man with a van, with optional marshmallows if you’d forgotten your own. The smoke from the fire is also useful when the midges descended in the early evening. Only a slight irritant as there was water nearby and trees of course. We found the local pubs even sold Avon’s Sun So Soft spray which is the only, I mean the only, lotion that keeps the little blighters away.

The first day after arriving, we headed round the valley to Wastwater to gaze at the view towards Scafell Pike and fells, we realised we had headed went in the wrong direction and left the sun behind us in the Esk valley! The view is still spectacular under cloud, and it’s so peaceful, as hardly any tourists hang out at this side of the lakes which is further west of the more popular areas. More serious walkers and outward bounders can be found here.

Wastwater views over to Scafell Pike.

The next day we took the steam train to Muncaster Castle for fun day and even found a slow worm basking in the sun at the side of the pavement. I’ve never seen one before and they are very pretty close up.

Sam the slow worm.

The view from Muncaster Castle grounds.

A bone-rattling ride on a recommissioned army truck takes you direct from the campsite up to the Woolpack Inn for an evening meal. You’ve got to watch how much alcohol you consume at the pub, as the ride back down can be even hairier! Especially as the roads are single tracks. Stomach churning.

Marshmallows round the campfire and a few glasses of wine with friends rounds off the evenings well. As soon as the kids got their bearings it was great that they all made friends and dashed from tents, to ponds, to the playground and the ‘mountain’ by themselves. All the larger groups of camping families were set up together in a separate field, presumably to keep any late night noise to a minimum, or at least all together but we found no unpleasant noise at all which was nice, unless we were the culprits!

We can’t wait to go back, it’s beautiful camping countryside, with loads of places to visit and things to do, and a relaxing cuckoo calling every morning as we woke up.

Last weekend was our first camping trip of this year, and only the second time we’d used our new Vango tent. Deciding to go for a couple of nights at short notice, even at this time of year it proved tricky to find a campsite that met with our strict prerequisites for camping, distance to travel for a short trip and interesting countryside to explore. I fired off several emails to likely looking places and settled on Low Greenside Campsite at Ravenstonedale in Cumbria. Five miles south of Kirkby Stephen it is far enough away for us to feel like we’re in a different place to home, but not too far for a short weekend break. Just dodge the colourful macaws on your way through Kirkby, (yes really) and it’s basically a field on a small farm surrounded by the Pennines on one side and the Lake District on the other. Camping as it used to be.

Tents were set up when we arrived on Friday evening and we toasted marshmallows around the fire. And kept warm as the sun went down at the same time as the temperature dropped below zero.

During the night we were woken by the cold, as well as a nosy lamb pawing (hoofing?) at our tent. But the morning dawned sunny and it sooned warmed us up again.

Or trying to remember what it takes to go skiing after 10 years

Finding an outdoor adventure, or skiing break, during the bitterly cold February school holidays was going to be a challenge this year but we decided, as it was much too cold for camping, to rent a cottage in the Cairngorms for a week instead. We knew the Scottish Highlands had had a bumper winter sports season the previous winter and although this year seemed more wind and rain than icy snow we thought the risk was worth it.

Bluefolds Cottage in Glenlivet was a last minute change of venue as the first Tomintoul cottage we’d booked suffered a fire over the New Year. But it was fabulous, spacious and clean with a very friendly helpful owner. He even ferried us up to the cottage in his 4×4 as the farm track was under snow and ice when we arrived. Our little car would never have made it. One evening he even brought us some sledges and some of his own whisky collection to try. The cottage had the added bonus of a coal-fired burner which, even though it was bitterly cold outside kept the cottage cosy all the time. The farm below the cottage had some friendly sheep dogs who always came to say hello as we passed by. The closest shop was about 21 miles away in Granton-on-Spey.

We had optimistically booked skiing lessons at the Lecht, a small family friendly ski and snowboard centre close by. Luckily, despite a few more snow storms, the three days we enjoyed at the Lecht were sunny and actually warm. Once I’d managed to get my old ski boots on, having not skied for 10 years they’d gone a bit stiff to say the least, we quickly remembered how to slide down hills. The route up to the ski resort could be hairy at times with no 4×4 but with a bit of skidding and sliding we made it each day.

It was certainly chillier at the top of the ski lift and we soon found the best runs to try and avoid both the real beginners and to not get in the way of the experts. I think we’re in-betweeners. I was very glad of my new Trespass skiing jacket to keep me warm. Skiing in Scotland is a hit and miss business due to the inclement (love that word) weather. If the wind is too strong no lifts are open except the nursery slopes. So glad we gave it a go and had such an unexpected brilliant time, highly recommend the cottages at Bluefold if you want a quiet, in the middle-of-nowhere kind of getaway too.

Walking in Whinlatter Forest trails and adventure playground

One of our most favourite places in the UK is Keswick, and just up the road from there is the brilliant Whinlatter Forest trails and adventure playground for kids. It has a lovely big visitor centre, a cafe, osprey webcams , forest walks, mountain biking and the adventure playground it’s worth visiting if you’re in the area. The views over Bassenthwaite are amazing rain or shine and it’s just 15 minutes drive from Keswick town centre.

We visited in spring time to take advantage of the café, and have an reasonable walk through the woods. The forest walks range from easy to strenuous but the one we did this time was just was 3-4 miles of trails, sometimes deep in the trees, and sometimes out in the open, past streams and a couple of waterfalls. Plenty to do and see on the way round too, collect pine cones and leaves, watch siskins and spot sun-seeking lizards.

We passed lots of mountain bikers zooming past on the trickier trails, but the real highlight for our daughter was the amazing adventure playground. It had only been completed in the last year or so and is a long trail of fun through the forest just above the activity centre. Starting with slides and wobbly wooden bridges, past wooden sculptures and tyre swings.

There’s a rope climbing frame, a climbing wall, and one of those dragon style swings too. As well as some little wooden chalets built like Wendy houses in the trees for children to enjoy.

The massive sand/gravel pits were a great favourite too. These were complete with pulleys and buckets for scooping up sand and working out how to move the gravel elsewhere to then drop it down tunnels and tubes. At the end of the adventure trail there are tree stumps with mysterious fairy-style doors that could be opened to reveal carvings behind. It’s a lovely forest, full of wildlife and places to discover. Older children and adults can sign up for a GoApe adventure. Can’t wait to go again.

Update: Last October 2015 we stayed one night at Lanefoot Farm campsite which is located in Thornthwaite just below Whinlatter. They allow campfires and is a lovely place to camp and they have wooden pods too if you prefer.

One of the memorable activities of our stay at Whitbarrow was the DUCKS! There’s a big family of quackers that live in and around the apartments and villas who are also fed on a regular basis by the many children who visit.

They have a biggish duck pond in the centre surrounded by rocks and trees but seem to spend a lot of their time visiting those families who feed them regularly. We were convinced they recognised Alice after the first couple of days as they waddled and quacked they way straight to her. (I’d say made a bee-line for her but they’re ducks, not bees of course).

All this duck-feeding meant we went through quite a lot of bread but luckily due to many previous visits to Keswick we knew where to buy proper bags of real duck food. From the cafe by the lake. It still just looked like cornflakes to us but gave the Whitbarrow ducks a bit of a change of diet.

Every morning Alice shot out of our chalet and fed them their breakfast, and at the end of a good day outdoors she loved feeding them their tea. We soon recognised individual characters in the team, one with scruffy feathers and a few couples who waited patiently for their turn at the bread. It was fun to try and find where they were hiding in the mornings and to spot the first few arriving to munch. Then of course word quickly spread that breakfast was served, until the flock descended from wherever they’d spent the night to flap and quack about, and fight over the crumbs.

Feeding ducks is such a simple outdoor activity but such a pleasure to take time to enjoy especially for children.

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Camping obsessive

Camping has become one of my most favourite past times in recent years, even though I got the bug for it as a child when my parents took us all over Europe in a rusty old Fiat Amigo campervan. I think I cried when we had to finally get rid of it.
Sleeping in fresh air, cooking on grass and generally appreciating the countryside noises and songs of the birds in the UK tips me gently into that relaxing luxurious feeling of really getting away from normal day to day life in the office. It switches the stress lever to 'off' even if it's just for one night.